SNAP
Statement

Statement by David Clohessy, National Director of SNAP 314-566-9790
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

While there are many good people in the Legion, a fish rots from the head down, and it defies history and common sense to believe that Maciel is the only wrong-doer in the order and that others were unaware of his crimes and misdeeds.

If the Legion is to heal, and if kids are to be protected, it's crucial that anyone who saw suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes, misdeeds or cover ups come forward. It's crucial that they contact independent authorities, especially criminal authorities

No institution can effectively police itself. Secrecy protects only the guilty. And as Martin Luther King said, no lie lives forever.

So now more than ever, with the Legion in the spotlight, it's important that current and former Legion staff and members do what thousands of clergy sex abuse victims have done: search their consciences, find some strength, and disclose illegal and immoral behavior so that the wounded can heal and the vulnerable be protected.